After Crow debacle, Nationals know they must sign second pick
The Nationals’ No. 1 pick will get most of the attention on Tuesday night at Major League Baseball’s draft. But it is actually the No. 10 pick that could say the most about the franchise’s direction.
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Because the Nats failed to sign last June’s first-round pick — pitcher Aaron Crow — by the Aug. 15th deadline, they earned that 10th pick this year as compensation. If Washington does pick San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg No. 1 overall, it knows a healthy chunk of the draft budget is headed his way. The question: Are the Nats really willing to take the best player available at No. 10 or will that pick instead be a lesser talent who may be more inclined to sign with the team quickly? Another protracted holdout — especially since the No. 10 pick comes with no compensation this time if a contract isn’t signed — is a sickening thought for a struggling organization still trying to build credibility in a crowded sports marketplace.
“We’re going to negotiate very hard and take the right people,” acting general manager Mike Rizzo said. “We’re pretty confident. The Lerners have given us the resources to sign not only those [first-round] picks, but the rest of the picks we have throughout the draft.
Rizzo said that the Nats will not make a player’s “signability” a litmus test. Whoever is the most talented player left on their draft board when the No. 10 pick rolls around is the player they will take — regardless of asking price.
